


Dead or Alive

by hyperius



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Canon-Typical Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Jason Todd Deserves Better, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Panic Attacks, Protective Bruce Wayne, Protective Jason Todd, but it's only mentioned once, seriously jason gets the short end of the stick though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:00:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,102
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29546208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyperius/pseuds/hyperius
Summary: Jason doesn't know if they're dead or alive, but he's not going to stop until he finds them.He's not going to stop until his family is safe.
Relationships: Batfamily Members & Jason Todd, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne
Comments: 7
Kudos: 175





	Dead or Alive

They were dead. They were all _fucking_ dead.

Jason sat on the ground of the alley _shaking_ , hands pressed firmly against his ears as he rocked himself back and forth. His eyes were wide and tears increasingly became trapped behind his domino. He didn’t want to listen anymore, didn’t want to see - he wanted to leave, leave, _run_ \- he needed to _go_ but he couldn’t because they needed him. They needed him, they needed him they needed him theyneededhimtheyneededhim -

But he couldn’t do anything but sit there and watch, trapped in his own mind and body as they die. Died. They’re dead. They’re fucking dead and he did nothing; he was able to do nothing but _watch_ as they gurgled on their own blood. And the laughter, the fucking laughter. Not all of them laughed as the light faded from their eyes, no, no that was only Bruce. Bruce, laughing and gurgling, the blood spraying out of his mouth with every broken laugh as he died; eyes begging for help behind the cowl and hand reaching out for Jason - reaching out for Jason to _save him_ … and all Jason could do was cover his ears and cry. Cry because he couldn’t tell if it was Bruce or the Joker under that cowl laughing and laughing, but now he’s dead. Dead, and so obviously Bruce, his father. His family, they’re fucking dead and it’s his fault. If he just helped, if he could’ve just forced himself to fucking move, to reach out - to grab Bruce’s hand when he reached out; then maybe they’d have been alive instead of _there_ on the hard floor. Laid to rest in a puddle of their own blood. Dick… Tim… Damian… _Bruce_ , dead. Dead. They needed him and he failed them and now they’re - they’re fucking gone.

Finally, he forced his paralyzed limbs to move, crawling pathetically over to Dick’s side. His hands trembled as he reached out, afraid to feel the cold of the skin and the warmth of the blood. Only seeing the corpse, he can deny it’s reality. He’s used to green tinted hallucinations and sinister laughter bouncing through the shadows. So seeing? Seeing isn’t believing. But feeling? Feeling is real. Feeling makes everything real.

He sucked in a sharp breath, trapping the sob that was threatening to tear from his throat. He didn’t dare touch, but he knew he has to. He has to. He has to know, he has to make sure, and so he lowered his trembling hand and gently reached for Dick’s frigid cheek.

Except he didn’t make contact. His hand went through his brother’s cheek, and Jason once again felt the icy tendrils of paralysis run through his veins. His eyes widened and he took a halting breath. They’re… not real. They’re not real. This isn’t… real?

Like a shock of lightning Jason was aware - green tinting his vision, but there were no corpses to be seen. He took in a shaking breath, backing slowly from where he thought he saw the bloodied bodies of his family. He stumbled, falling over his own hands. They aren’t dead? Or maybe they just aren’t dead _here_? Maybe he brought the ghosts of his family with him? Did he even see them die earlier? Fuck, fuck _fuck_! He can’t remember, he doesn’t know -he needs to know. He needs to fucking know if they’re dead or not. He needs to, he needs to be sure. He needs to feel - feel them, alive or dead but preferably alive. _Please. Please be alive_.

Jason forced himself to his feet, ignoring his weakened knees as he made himself run from the dusty building, revving the engine of his motorcycle before he was even fully seated. He drove with abandon, not caring what traffic laws he broke or who he nearly hit - what he nearly hit. He knew he clipped his knee on one corner, and jumped the curb on another, but he didn’t care, couldn’t care, he just needed to get home. No, not home, not for him. But still, he needed to get to the manor. He needed to get to the manor and make sure they’re _alive_.

Once he managed to reach the manor gates, he jumped from his bike, ignoring how the motorcycle crashed into the gate post just past the entrance, and began stumbling to the manor doors. The bike didn’t matter, nothing but his family mattered in that moment. He rushed through the gate, running up the driveway and not even hesitating once before reaching the doors. He tried to barge in but the large oak doors were locked, so instead he took to desperately pounding against the wood, not a care in the world for how he bruised his hands and screamed his voice ragged begging to be let in. It only took seconds for the door to be pulled open, but it still felt like an eternity for Jason. As soon as the door was opened Jason barged in, moving past Alfred as he frantically searched for the others.

“Dear Lord, Master Jason, are you alright?” Alfred followed the boy through the halls and towards Bruce’s private study, “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Bruce,” Any of them, any of them - his voice was rough when he spoke, “Dick, Dami, Tim, where are they?”

“They’re in the cave. They’ve just returned home from patrol.”

“Alive? They returned alive?”

“Yes. My dear boy, are you alright?” Alfred’s voice was filled with worry, brows drawn in concern.

Jason sharply nodded, “I just need - I need to see them.” Before Alfred could even respond, Jason was racing to the Grandfather clock and through the secret entrance. He rushed down the steps, only skidding to a halt when he spotted the rest of the Bats, all pausing in what they were doing to look up at him.

They were all very much alive. No blood, no laughter, no holes in chests or slit necks. Simply… alive, a little bruised and cut from patrol but nothing that would warrant worry. He stared, eyes wide and breath heaving, sweat making his hair stick to his forehead and dripping into his eyes as he stared.

 _Alive_.

“Jason?” Dick’s voice was soft and concerned, “Jay, what happened?” He hesitated before taking a step forward, hands held up in a placating manner.

Oh, oh, his eyes must be glowing - green and bright and _dangerous_. At least, they correlate the green with danger. They don’t know it glows for any strong emotion: for anger or worry alike. Normally that’s fine, normally he’s angry and he wants them to leave him alone but he can’t have them scared now. He needs to see them, to feel them, to know they aren’t dead. To know this isn’t just another twisted fantasy -“Please,” he took a stumbling step towards Bruce, hands raised in an almost pleading manner, “Please, Bruce,” his voice cracked, but he ignored it just as he ignored the other shocked gasps and worried questions. He ignored it all because between one second and the next Bruce was there, in front of him and pulling him into his chest. He was real, solid and warm and _real_. So _real_.

They’re alive. Oh god, they’re _alive_.

It felt like the lead construct wrapped around Jason’s chest was finally released, allowing relief to flood through his veins. He sagged into Bruce’s chest, eyes closing as he took deep breaths to smell his dad’s shitty, rich cologne that’s so clearly Bruce’s as he allowed his mind to settle. The anxiety and adrenaline seeped from his bones and all he felt afterwards was a soul deep exhaustion. Exhaustion and relief - _they’re alive._

“Jayce, Jaylad, what happened?” Bruce’s deep baritone felt soothing to his soul, and Jason couldn’t help the calm that came with hearing him speak, “Chum, can you talk?”

He nodded, “Yeah. Just, just shitty patrol.”

“That all?”

“No,” He fisted Bruce’s shirt and held him in a white knuckled grip, refusing to let go, “It’s nothin’.”

“If I could, Master Bruce, when Master Jason came in he spoke of believing you all dead.”

“Dead?”

“Yes.”

Jason heard rustling, and then there was a sharp prick against his arm. He hissed, turning his head to see Tim with a syringe filled with his blood, “Just for some tests, Jason. Don’t worry.”

“I’m not,” and he shouldn’t be worried, at least not anymore. They’re alive, clearly, and whatever happened was fake so he should be over it all by now. He should, he should be over it. In fact, he should be storming out in some dramatic, asshole-ish way.

But Bruce is warm, and real, and he doesn’t want to be alone.

“I should go,” Jason didn’t move, though. He didn’t even try to free himself from Bruce’s hold, “You’re all obviously fine, so I should leave.”

“Mhhm,” Bruce smiled down at his son, running his finger’s through his son’s hair in a soothing manner, “Or you can stay for the night. Just this once.” He felt Jason frown against his chest, and knew he needed to do something to convince him to stay, “I was a little spooked on patrol,” more like after patrol, when Jason came storming in and looking as if he ran through hell, but he knew better than to say that, “And I’d like to have all my boys here tonight. So I can make sure you’re all ok.”

There was a brief silence before Jason hummed slightly, nodding, “Ok. For one night. For your sake.”

“Yes,” Bruce leaned down, softly kissing the top of Jason’s head, “For my sake.”

During the commotion, Alfred took it upon himself to escort Damian upstairs. Though the boy was already much too mature for his age, seeing one of his brother’s so startled and scared would push him to be on edge. Much like it did Dick. Dick, who was hovering over Jason, was unsure what to do with Bruce taking the lead to comfort his dead brother. Normally that’s Dick’s job, so now all Dick was able to do was hover. Which meant, when Tim cleared his throat to announce his findings, it only caught the attention of Dick. The eldest brother was quickly by his side, eager to do something to help Jason.

“What’d you find?”

“Drugs,” Tim pointed to the screen, “See? It was probably on the knife that cut him.”

“We got an antidote?”

“Don’t need one,” Tim smirked up at his brother, “It’s a strain of fear gas, but weaker. They probably thought they were buying the real thing but y’know, luckily, they bought a watered down version,” though still strong enough to freak Jason out, “The effects should wear off in on it’s own.”

“Good,” Dick relaxed, looping his arm around Tim’s shoulder, “Now come on. We’re setting up family movie night,” and no one is allowed to escape family movie night. Especially not now. He moves, gently pushing Bruce and Jason towards the stairs, “Come on you two. It’s time to cuddle.”

Jason made a little sound of protest, “No. I don’t cuddle.” He tried pulling himself out of Bruce’s hold best he could. His father didn’t let him go far, but Jason didn’t protest that. He had enough room to walk, but was still firmly in Bruce’s arm and he felt warm. It felt nice. 

“Of course not,” Dick snorted, “You’re too manly for cuddles, but I’m too manly to not want cuddles.” After all, men deserve cuddles too! Dick especially, or so he thought.

“Play nice you two,” Bruce grinned as he lead Jason back up the steps of the Batcave and towards the movie room within the manor, “We can’t fight before movie night.”

Jason snorted, but he couldn’t hide his small grin. They were alive. They’re all alive: Bruce, Dick, Tim, Damian. There was a swirling of emotions through his soul, and for once most all of them were positive. Of course, there was still that little nagging anxiety that was telling him this was all a lie, but for once, he was able to ignore it. He was able to ignore it and simply enjoy being pulled down on the couch and tucked into Bruce’s side, his other brother’s joining them shortly after. He knew once they deemed him calm enough they’re going to force him into a check up. When his adrenaline goes, he’s going to feel every muscle and he’s going to ache. But for now? For now he’s ignoring the movie as he allows himself to float in the feeling of the safety and family.

**Author's Note:**

> Afterwards Dick forces Jason back down to the Batcave and yells at him for messing up his knee so badly. If he's going to be driving a motorcycle then he better know how to drive it without clipping his knee while going eighty miles an hour.   
> Jason gets dragged upstairs to his bedroom and forced to stay at the manor until he heals. Then he gets convinced to stay an extra day. Then Alfred convinces him to stay longer, and then before he knows it he's moved in and he swears it's Alfred Magic that tricked him into moving back in,


End file.
